The Rapture Conspiracy

If I remember correctly only 144000 will go.
Not millions.
Oh and some of those are already dead, so even less will disappear.
Chance of noticing are slim.

reply to post by darkelf


conspiracy angle wise i would love to get on in this thread but the so called rapture does not meet the 7 specifications ats gives for what constitutes a conspiracy:1.pride 2.envy 3.gluttony 4.lust 5.anger 6.greed 7. sloth

i hope i can be forgiven for just saying just this much that:

my understanding from reading the scriptures every day for 41 years is i can't even find that word in any of the 12 different versions of the bible in our small home library.

People will be taken by angels (aliens inf act) They won't magically disappear in front of your eyes (well maybe, not expert on alien technology). They won't pick up people based on their religious affiliation.

reply to post by smans


Only if you are jewish, and a rabbi

i believe in the rapture and its not a matter of trying to force people to repent. either you live your life right and accept God as your lord and savior or you dont.

if you dont get taken the first time you know why and you know wat you have to do to make the next and last one. choose God or accept the mark of the beast and and be sorry for all eternity. and if you are not raptured dont expect an easy time waiting for the next chance cause it will be far from it.

the only thing that makes me think is how the mark will be distributed. somehow i have a feeling its not goin to be the anti-christ or a demon lining people up saying "get your mark of the beast here". its like everythings gonna happen but only those who truly believe and arent just trying to get out of going to hell will realize it when it hits.

never-the-less i live my life right by wat God says to the best of my ability and trust that im going to heaven on the first shot. if it happenes in my life time which i believe is very possible.

and aliens saving mankind from some earthly disaster.... not happening. jesus is going to do what he said he was and last time i checked he didnt say he was sending aliens.

[edit on 24-3-2008 by Bean328]

I firmly believe, as a Christian of sorts(with the Bible education to boot), that the rapture is indeed only a conspiracy. The concept of the rapture is not in the Bible at all. It's another case of the Church violating the ten commandments, and forcing people who don't read the Bible(and yet still subscribe to the dogma) to believe something they made up in order to control them through fear.

If it isn't in the Bible, then it's only Canaan, and if it is Canaan, then it's blasphemy.

in the bible it does talk about jesus saying he'd return to save his people among other things. so while it may or may not use the word rapture, the concept and main point is the same.

I would bet that most Christians would just think it wasn't really the rapture or they would start looking at themselves and develop either a) a stronger belief system or b) stop believing at all. But I'm guessing if it were a disaster that caused the people to be gone/taken whatever that people might not believe it were a rapture, but a man made disaster instead. Unless they saw people just poof disappear then I don't know it would be something everyone could start yelling 'oh crap, I messed up and missed the rapture'.


Now as someone who was raised Christian and now has zero clue what is real and what is not, I think that if all of a sudden people disappeared into thin air like that, I would start rethinking weather or not I was really a Christian.

reply to post by darkelf


Hypothetically, if December 21st 2012 were to be the day of reckoning, and we were all of two distinct groups ie (A) Christians waiting for the Rapture or (B) Everyone else, then come the following day, if we were suffering from some apocalyptic catastrophe and nobody had disappeared then Group A would say to themselves 'this is not the time'.. and both groups would carry on as one.

If during the apocalypse, large numbers of Group A did suddenly disappear, then Group B would either think that God had taken them, Aliens had taken them, the Government had taken them, they had run away, had found shelter, be shocked and confused or not think of them at all because they are too busy running around with their hair on fire.

Either way, if you have strong belief system, you tend to accommodate events within the framework of that system, even if they are contrary to it. It is easier to bend or stretch your belief than to lose faith in it altogether.

If this question really worries you then I would suggest you 'hedge your bets' and join Group A

(I respect your wish not to obfuscate answers to your question by debating the validity of the Rapture - Other answers are available)


[edit on 24/3/08 by Myrdyn]

Originally posted by projectvxn
I firmly believe, as a Christian of sorts(with the Bible education to boot), that the rapture is indeed only a conspiracy. The concept of the rapture is not in the Bible at all. It's another case of the Church violating the ten commandments, and forcing people who don't read the Bible(and yet still subscribe to the dogma) to believe something they made up in order to control them through fear.

If it isn't in the Bible, then it's only Canaan, and if it is Canaan, then it's blasphemy.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:51-55:
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Even with high-technology, I find it doubtful that aliens would be able to resurrect the dead (especially those who have long-since died, even back to thousands of years ago). This suggests one of two things to me: a) the Rapture teaching is true, or b) it is not true, and none of it can really be relied upon. I personally believe it, but I also have personal reasons for this; if one does not believe it, that person is still just as human and valuable as me, I think.

The Greek word (the NT comes to us from the Greek language) the English language has come to know commonly as Rapture is Harpazo, and is indeed found in the Bible.

The 144,000 have absolutely nothing to do with this event, if one uses The Book of Revelation as reference. They remain on earth, and work to bring the message of the risen Christ to the Jewish believers on the earth during the seven years of Tribulation.

Also, Revelation 3:10 indicates that there is a group of believers who will not have to endure the seven-year Tribulation, as they have already persevered in faith and God announces that His wrath is not for them. Many believe that this suggests a Pre-Tribulation Rapture ("catching away").

Hope this helps.

[edit on 3/24/2008 by OptionToChoose]

Originally posted by OptionToChoose

Originally posted by projectvxn

The 144,000 have absolutely nothing to do with this event, if one uses The Book of Revelation as reference. They remain on earth, and work to bring the message of the risen Christ to the Jewish believers on the earth during the seven years of Tribulation.

[edit on 3/24/2008 by OptionToChoose]

great find, i knew that 144,000 wasnt how many were going to be taken but i couldnt remember were or wat it refered to in the bible to prove it.

Originally posted by smans
If I remember correctly only 144000 will go.
Not millions.
Oh and some of those are already dead, so even less will disappear.
Chance of noticing are slim.

And those 144,000? If anyone actually bothered to read Revelation rather than being spoon-fed by their local money-grubbing preacher, it clearly says that they'll all be Jewish (1,200 from each of the 12 tribes) male virgins. So if you ain't one of those, you're gonna be stuck fighting it out with the rest of us heathens.

Either way, I think it might be a good chance for Satan to do some quick recruiting. After all, all the self-righteous Christians left behind are going to feel pretty defeated. Like maybe their chances of salvation have just been lowered for some reason they don't understand. More than a few of them might just be scared enough or pissed off enough to listen to a good pitch by Satan.

On the other hand, maybe it was Satan himself who came up with the idea of the "Rapture" in the first place, as a bug to put in the ears of the believers, so when it doesn't happen, he'll be ready to step right up. If I was Satan, that's the way I'd play it. It's a perfect sucker move. Spread a delicious rumor for the gullible to believe, then cash in when it fails.

Originally posted by yahn goodey
reply to post by darkelf

 

conspiracy angle wise i would love to get on in this thread but the so called rapture does not meet the 7 specifications ats gives for what constitutes a conspiracy:1.pride 2.envy 3.gluttony 4.lust 5.anger 6.greed 7. sloth

i hope i can be forgiven for just saying just this much that:

my understanding from reading the scriptures every day for 41 years is i can't even find that word in any of the 12 different versions of the bible in our small home library.

I’m going with number 6.

Over the years, I have read post on ATS that make the claim that the government (US) is planning on creating a “fake” rapture. If I am not mistaken, I believe it is or is in conjunction with “Project Bluebeam.” Now why would our government have a plan for misleading the public in this manner?

If however, millions of people did suddenly disappear, do you think that this government would not use it to further their own agenda?

Thanks to all for staying on topic. I know that the temptation to discuss your belief of the validity of a rapture is strong, but I appreciate the self-control.

reply to post by OptionToChoose



Yes, you are 100% dead on, but that isn't the way it is taught to the masses. People seem to think everything is going to just stop existing and that the wicked few will be left behind. That's the rapture most people get.

reply to post by OptionToChoose
If anyone's interested there's a good book " Revelation Unveiled,By Tim Lahaye" which is very informative and opened my eyes to certain texts. After all,many of us do interperet things differently just because we are set in a certain pattern of thinking. It's definately interesting to look at it from a different perspective other than your own.

Her's a few supporting verses that we will be raptured.

John 14:2-3
2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

1Thes 4:16-17
16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Matthew24:27-31
27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29"Immediately after the distress of those days
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'[c]

30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

reply to post by 19DCW71


While I appreciate your enthusiasm, there are other "rapture" threads for this response. I have asked that we do not dwell on whether or not one believes in the rapture but to make an assertation as to what you believe will take place if a) catastophic events take place with no rapture or b) millions disappear.

I am not trying to change anyone's beliefs, I only wish to discuss the impact that either of these situations would have on you personally or society as a whole. Thanks for your compliance.

My earlier post was to hopefully bring some clarity as to what the Scripture says/doesn't say regarding the Rapture, but after review, it does not give my response to the thread's questions, so I'll add that here.

If the Rapture does occur before the global downward spiral gets really out-of-hand, it seems pretty self-evident that, if I'm part of it, it will feel great, as the basic purpose of it is to move into a realm of total happiness and completion.

On the other hand, there has for centuries been an ongoing debate within Christianity as to whether the event will be pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, or post-tribulation. From what I've been able to learn over the years, all signs in Scripture point to a pre-tribulation catching-away. However, if it is mid/post in actuality, (and that would be landmarked by the revealing of Mr. 666, halfway through the tribulation), then I would likely be feverishly disappointed that my intellectual comprehension of the whole matter was that off, but would have to hunker down, as they say (and I loathe that phrase, truth be known, yet it works quickly), and ride the miserable thing out as best I could.

I speak as if one way or the other Rapture is actually going to happen, because the degraded world we live in today I've been watching and waiting for for decades, now, having studied end-time bible Prophecy since the mid-80's. Because of these studies, nothing I've seen go wrong with our societies/world has been unexpected to me (generally speaking, not specific events/people), so I find no reason to pick that one Prophetic occurrence (Rapture) out of the bible and reject it . . what would be the motivation for that, I have to wonder?

This is my answer to the OP inquiry, which was indeed thought-provoking.

reply to post by Bean328

Glad the post was helpful to you, I see in so many threads posts which do not seem to actually reference the source of the 144,000 -- The Book of Revelation -- and to truly grasp something as complex as end-time Prophecy one must not get the information crossed ... if the directions say turn right, and you turn left, at what point would you actually arrive at the intended destination?

reply to post by Nohup


not every preacher out there is in it for money. there are plenty of great preachers out there that do what God has appointed them to do just as there are plenty of corrupted ones. and if you were to see good ones and bad ones you can tell them apart. as for the preacher of my church, he is by far the best that i've seen and im glad to have one that knows what he is talking bout and is not in it for personal gain.

[edit on 25-3-2008 by Bean328]

reply to post by darkelf


quote:what do you believe will take place?a.catastrophic events with no rapture? b.millions disappear.

conspiracy angle wise #6 i believe a. is what will take place-----we all stay here on the earth,but G-D protects and looks after the #6 church members----philadelphia.